As a Professor at Vermont Law School – the country’s premier environmental law school – I know first-hand that many of Vermont’s laws and policies lead the nation. It is what makes me proud to be a Vermonter. Whether it be social justice, health care or environmental policy, Vermonters are bold and dare to lead where other states sit back and watch. We should be proud of this national leadership.

I’ve lived in places as diverse as California and Connecticut, Montana and Maine. I’ve seen what other states and regions of the country have to offer when it comes to bold leadership and I can say definitively that, when compared to Vermont, none of them come close.

That’s why I’m surprised by the current controversy that seems to be surrounding the democratic gubernatorial primary over the development of wind as a renewable energy. To my eyes, Matt Dunne has got it right. His recent announcement on wind energy development in Vermont is exactly the type of bold leadership that makes Vermont exceptional. While his political opponents have demagogued the issue, Matt has set forth coherent environmental policies that accomplish two goals that I believe are critical to our efforts to address climate change.

First, Matt Dunne’s announcement that communities have a role to play in deciding the future of Vermont’s leadership on renewable energy recognizes what other seem to ignore: our neighbors’ voices matter and their opinions have value. This isn’t NIMBYism or capitulation to the fossil fuel industry. It is a commitment to our people and the communities that are the building blocks of our great state.

Second, Matt’s stated policies on wind development will do much to build an atmosphere of trust and unity in Vermont. We simply cannot solve the greatest environmental issue of our time as a state divided against itself. We need unity and a sense of shared commitment that can only come through recognizing that Vermont is made up of the towns and communities that populate it. From the Connecticut River to Lake Champlain, for too long the wind issue has divided neighbors. Matt’s bold announcement has given both camps an opportunity to come together from a position of mutual respect. By having the political courage to publicly recognize the value of our neighbors’ opinions and the importance of community in Vermont, Matt has set us on a course whereby perhaps Vermont can finally lead again on the issue of renewable energy. Vermont leads, that’s what we do.

With his message of respect for our neighbors and his steadfast commitment to fighting the scourge of climate change, Matt Dunne has given us the chance to move forward decisively through unity and the respect for our neighbors that has been the bedrock of Vermont’s place in the nation and the world since our founding. Thanks Matt, our children appreciate it.

Jared K. Carter is an assistant professor of law at Vermont Law School.